MEL
User's reviews
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Southern Gardens Tea Room
I went w/a friend for 'high tea' even though I suspected that it wasn't high tea at all and I was right. The term 'high tea' may sound elegant but it's often misused as it was at Southern Gardens. High tea was for the working class who worked through lunch and didn't make it home in time for afternoon tea which is traditionally served between the hours of 3:00 and 5:00 PM. (We were there at 1:15.) Therefore, it had to be a hearty meal and it always included bread, cheese and meat, usually roast beef whether hot or cold and so it was often called 'meat tea'. And, of course, it always included hot tea but we had to pay extra for our tea at Southern Gardens. Can you imagine paying extra for tea when you were there for 'high tea'? Also there was no tea warmer available so my pot of tea became cold rather quickly. No skim milk also; you can't put cream in tea. The sandwiches were cute but very, very sweet, more for afternoon tea than high tea. Perhaps if you want lunch the food will be heartier then but if you desire to experience a true 'high tea', there are other places to go. A high tea should have less sweets and more meats. It's called high tea because of the height of the table on which it was served, which was the high buffet or dining room table. Afternoon tea, also known as low tea, was for the aristocrats and was served at a low table such as a tea table or coffee table in a sitting room, hence the name. It didn't sound dignified so it later became known as afternoon tea. I may go back to experience lunch but I have to work off all this sugar that I had w/my so-called high tea first.